Folding brace



May 1, 1923. 1,453,989

' O. A. NORLUND FOLDI NG BRACE Fil ed July 12, 1921 .0101 H. Norlun INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 1, 1923.

irao OLOF A. NOBLUND, or WILLIAMSPOR'I, PENNSYL ANIA.

FOLDING BRACE.

Application filed July 12, 1921. Serial 170; 494,096.

To all it. 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLOF A. NonLUNn, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Villiamsport, in the county of Lycoming 6 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Folding'Brace, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a folding brace which is adapted to be used for rotating 1 some part of a device, wherein it is necessary for the operator to be located at a dis tance from the deviceoperated, and is more particularly directed to, an operating arm for a lifting-jack such as described in my patent dated May 20, 1919, No. 1,304,358.

The object of this invention .is to provide a brace which is capable of operating a device that must be located remote from the operator but which, when not in use, may be folded up and packed neatly in a small space.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of the folding brace in operative position for operating a. lifting 'ack.

1 Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe device in folded position.

to I Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective showing my improved connection for holding the folding parts in rigid operative position.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a crank of the usual form with a swiveled or fixed knob 2.upon its outer free end. The

oppositeend of the crank is pivoted at 3 in p a clip 5, which has the short angular extension or part 4.

The shank of the brace is formed of a plurality of sections 6 and'7, the inner ends of which are s aced from each other and pivoted at 8 an 9, respectively. in a clip 10. The outer end of the section 7 of the shank is pivoted in the clip 5, at 11, and slightly spaced from the inner end of the crank 1.

by the turning of the brace.

Each clip is channel-shaped and formed of a base .12 and upstanding side flanges 13 and 14:,provided with pairs of spaced flared aws 15, 16 and 17, 18, formed on the outer ends of the side flanges. Each jaw is provided with an inward projection 19 which is adapted to engage the opposite faces of the ends of the sections 6, 7, and the opposite faces of the inner end 'of the crank 1 and firmly grip the same to prevent the pivoted members from being dislodged from the clips 5 and 10, when a torsional strain is applied to the brace. The pivots 8 and 9 are brought as close together aspossible without having the ends of the sections 6 and 7 touch, and this is also true of-the-pivots 3 and 11 of the section 7 and crank 1. The jaws of the clips are located beyond the pivots, and their grasp on the sections and crank is such that it requires some effort to break the joints. In other words, the engagement of the jaws Withthe sections and crank is stronger than the resistance ofi'ered The clip 5 is slightly different in construction from the clip 10 by reason of the fact that it must engage t c section 7 of the shank and theinner end of the crank 1 at a right angle, but nevertheless it retains all the characteristic gripping features attributed to the straight clip 10, and is designed for the specific purpose of meeting an emergency caused by the angular position of said parts.

These clips are made of high carbon spring steel properly tempered, in order that they will not only firmly grip the adjacent portion of the members upon opposite sides of their pivotal points and hold the parts in position, but will not be readily broken when placed under severe strains.

The sections 6 and 7, and the crank-1 may be made of any metal which will not be readily broken whensubjected to a torsional force necessary to the accomplishment of the work t which the brace is ordinarily aplied. Y

The outer end 20 of the shank is adapted to be inserted within a socket 21 formed within the worm screw 22 of the jack 23, so that as the crank-1 is rotated, the worm'22 105 will be rotated and engage the gear 24 to operate the rack bar 25.

It will be seen from Fig. 2, that the brace shown in Fig. 1 may be broken at certain pivotal connections. so that the sections 6 and 7 of the shank may be folded upon each other and drawn over in position upon the crank 1, thus forming a neat and compact folded brace which will take up very little space when not in use.

i The intermediate portion of the base of each clip is somewhat offset from the adjacent end portions of the base, thus providing a depression in the central portion of the base in order that the ends of the sections 6, 7 and the crank 1 which project beyond their pivotal points 8, 9 and 3, 5, respectively, may be made considerably longer than would otherwise be the case without the depression, and therefore it will not be necessary to perforate the sections 6-, 7 and the crank 1 too near the ends. of these members. A stronger pivotal connection between the several members is thus accomplished.

\Vhat is claimed is i 1. A folding brace comprising a crank, and a shank formed of a plurality of alined sections pivotally connected together, means to removably hold said sections in alinement, and an angular clip each end of which is provided with a pair of spaced jaws located at an angle to each other, the adjacent end of the crank and a section of the shank being pivoted in one part of the clip, the two jaws of said clip being adapted .to

firmly grip, adjacent end portions of the sec tion and crank respectively at one side of the pivots.

2. A folding brace comprising a shank and a crank, and a clip to which the adjacent ends of the shank and crank are piv-. oted, said clip having a pair of jaws at each end,'the jaws of one pairbeing-disposed at an angle to the jaws of the other pair, said aws embracing and retaining the shank and crank respectively in operative position.

3. A folding brace comprising a shank and a crank, and a clip to which the adjacent ends of the shank and crank are pivoted, said clip having at one end a seat within which the shank is frictionally held and having at its other end an, angularly disposed seat within which the angularly exfending portion of the crank is frictionally ield.

4. A folding brace comprising a shank and a double crank, in combination with a clip to which the adjacent ends of the shank and crank are pivoted, the shank being foldable about said pivots through an arc of substantially 180 degreeson the side opposite to the crank pin so as to extend across the legs of the crank, said shank being held against folding in the opposite direction.

A folding brace comprising a crank and a shank formed of a plurality of sections, said crank and shank being substantially rectangular in cross section, channel-- shaped clips .pivotally connecting the crank to one ofthe sections and the sections to each other, the end of the crank being spaced from the adjacent section, and the adjacent ends of the sections being spaced from each other and pivoted between the flanges of the channel-shaped clip, the flanges of the .clip embracing the ends of the sections and having inwardly-offset portions forming shoul-' ders to abutagainst the corners thereof to retain the sections in operative position.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

OLOF A. NORLUND. 

